Ask the Pack: Nintendo Switch advice?

[vhdawg]

The daughters (12 and 8yo) have asked for Nintendo Switches for Christmas. I haven't had a Nintendo product since the Wii before we had kids, so for any of you who are familiar with these things in my situation, could you offer advice?

What I have gathered is there's a base $300 one, a $350 one with more memory and a better screen, both of those come with docks and detachable controllers, and then there's the portable-only version that's $200 but is basically online only.

I have no idea how the game economy works on these things nowadays, nor any idea what they'd be wanting to play anyway. I gather there's some service with a bunch of old NES, SNES, and N64 games, and maybe other stuff too, available as a family plan annually, but I'm not familiar with details.

Older daughter is smart to which one is the good one, so do I need to just bite the bullet and get two of the $350 ones, so we end up with two docks and two controllers (which are $80 each), or what do you think?

I am open to suggestion here, thank you!

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

The daughters (12 and 8yo) have asked for Nintendo Switches for Christmas. I haven't had a Nintendo product since the Wii before we had kids, so for any of you who are familiar with these things in my situation, could you offer advice?

What I have gathered is there's a base $300 one, a $350 one with more memory and a better screen, both of those come with docks and detachable controllers, and then there's the portable-only version that's $200 but is basically online only.

I have no idea how the game economy works on these things nowadays, nor any idea what they'd be wanting to play anyway. I gather there's some service with a bunch of old NES, SNES, and N64 games, and maybe other stuff too, available as a family plan annually, but I'm not familiar with details.

Older daughter is smart to which one is the good one, so do I need to just bite the bullet and get two of the $350 ones, so we end up with two docks and two controllers (which are $80 each), or what do you think?

I am open to suggestion here, thank you!

I would splurge and get the 350 sets with the docking stations but if you don’t want to do that DO NOT get the Lite version, it sucks.

With the docking stations they can either play them handheld or have them hooked up to the TV and play on there. MarioKart and Mario Party are fun for everyone and you can play them on the tv much easier.

ninetendo has a subscription service where you can play classic NES and SNES games. I’ve wasted many an hour playing some games on both. They have a set list of games on there and add a few more every so often. Also be sure and buy screen protectors for them.

 

[dawgstudent]

We have the docking version and that's it. Only one set. They can't take it off the docking station. The subscription service is like $20 if I remember.

Only thing I hate is no football games. We play the hell out of NBA2k and MLB The Show though.

 

[passwordistaco]

The only advantage to the $350 is the screen I think. I don't think it actually has more storage. You can expand the storage with an SD card anyway. $200 can never hook up to a bigger screen, it's portable only. Like DeSoto said, don't get the $200 one.

I personally don't think younger kids are going to care about LCD vs OLED screens, so if I was buying my kids another one (we have a family model we all share), they'd get the base model.

They're pretty great. Highly recommend Switch Sports, it's just the Wii sports game re-done for the Switch. You can kill a good amount of time online playing tennis.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Go with the $350 version (it's definitely worth the price of the $300 if you're buying new).

Also, buy the cartridge games whenever possible so you can share games. Otherwise with digital it's a real pain to share games. The drawback is that the little cartridges can be easily lost.

 

[aTotal360]

I'd get the one with detachable controllers for sure. That's what we have (the old one, not the OLED version). Get a high-capacity memory card as well.

Buy digital versions of the games. The cartridges are so 17ing small and can get lost. We lost Mario Kart the first week we had the switch. Pissed me off so badly that I took a vow to never buy a physical copy of a game again.

You can subscribe to Nintendo Online and get a ton of NES and SNES games for "free".

Also, Nintendo knows that digital versions of games are so much more convenient, they actually charge more for them than a physical copy.

I have a 7 and 11 year old. Mario Kart gets the most play by a long shot. Then the first Mario World game. Then its a tie between Nintendo Sports and 1-2-3 Switch.

 

[dawgstudent]

Go with the $350 version (it's definitely worth the price of the $300 if you're buying new).

Also, buy the cartridge games whenever possible so you can share games. Otherwise with digital it's a real pain to share games. The drawback is that the little cartridges can be easily lost.

Cartridge games are usually cheaper too from what I can tell. We've only had a switch since last Christmas.

 

[Negative Waves]

VH, if you can find it, they have a special out right now that comes with Mario Kart for $299. I grabbed one for the kids after Thanksgiving since it's essentially giving you the game for free plus 3 free months of their online service. I didn't care to get the OLED version since my kids aren't old enough to appreciate it!

 

[kired]

Do you have any other gaming devices they play? Xbox / PS / computer / ipad?

My 9 year old loves our switch - but my 12 year old almost never touches it. He'd rather play on xbox or computer. So I know for us, it definitely wouldn't be worth buying two.

 

[aTotal360]

Cartridge games are usually cheaper too from what I can tell. We've only had a switch since last Christmas.

I found it to be the opposite. Nintendo knows how much more convenient the digital versions are.

 

[HailStout]

Definitely the $350 one. We have the 300 dollar one. It is really hard on my old man eyes whenever i play it out of the dock. Also, do not get Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You will cease to exist as a husband and father and will care only for that game.

 

[DerHntr]

First off, don’t buy it at all. My boys are completely obsessed and I can’t figure out how to get them to instead be obsessed with shooting all the animals in the woods like me. I blame my mother in law and wife for talking me into it. I should have instead bought them buckets of tannerite and a lot of bullets for the .223. Take that Fortnite.

But if you’re going to do it anyway, then go for the $350 version. This is coming from someone who has disliked gaming his entire life.

 

[The Peeper]

You left out option C, none of the above. Don't get them started on that crap